Newspapers are dying. You could probably guess as much just by picking one up. Even the Sunday editions have shrunk to nearly nothing. The ads can be thicker than the news sections.

The US has, as of 2017, 53 metro areas with populations exceeding 1million. 107 exceed 500,000. Yet, the US only has three (3) daily papers with circulations which exceed 1 million. Only 7 exceed 500,000 subscribers (4 are based in NYC).

“They’re not reinvesting in the business,” Ken Doctor, a longtime newspaper analyst and president of the website Newsonomics, said about Alden Global. “It’s dying and they are going to make every dollar they can on the way down.”

Several hedge funds have become newspaper barons in recent years. Alden Global now owns about 60 daily newspapers through a subsidiary, Digital First Media. New Media Investment Group, which is managed and controlled by private-equity firm Fortress, owns almost 150 newspapers in smaller towns like Columbus, Ohio, and Providence, Rhode Island, through a unit, GateHouse Media. And hedge fund Chatham Asset Management LLC is one of the largest shareholders and bondholders in McClatchy Co., publisher of the Charlotte Observer and Miami Herald.

(Continued below)

There are several ways to look at this:

First, you’re reading this on a computer. This site, a highly respected web log, is admittedly an Op-Ed operation. And, it’s small. I have neither the time, money, or interest in running full-time news here. The upside is that no globalist corporation controls anything here. Right now, one such company is trying to slow down my distribution. I’m not sure how the coming harsh EU regulations are going to affect their operations in America but it can’t hurt whatever comes. The other upside is that all the news sites in the world are just a few clicks away.

Second, and this is very cynical, given the literacy trends in the US, the papers may not have enough readers to subscribe to anything. That, I think (hope) will reverse. Tomorrow I start a 2-part series on that subject at TPC. You’ll see a link here.

Lastly, I think two types of print papers will survive, thrive maybe. The first group consists of the big three – WSJ, NYT, and USAToday. Maybe a few more regionals. They already deliver copy while running healthy, national websites too. I look for it to continue. And, for those of you at the base, local level, rejoice. I think a few small, local niche papers might make it, concentrating hard on what the locals expect out of whatever nuanced interest.

Come what may, I’ll be here until such time as the call of the mountains becomes irresistible.

The Vatican recently released a report on “the present economic-financial system” of the world that is typical of all pronouncements about economics from the Catholic Church bureaucracy: It is astoundingly ignorant of even elementary economic concepts, and is written in the language of a C-/D+ high school writing assignment. There is confusion over the definition of very simple economic concepts like profit and GDP. There are 49 footnotes, but none of them makes reference to any economic literature. They are mostly speeches by Catholic clergy who don’t seem to have much knowledge at all of the subject they are pontificating about.

Entitled “Oeconomicae et pecuniariae quaestiones”, the report expresses alarm about “the growing influence of financial markets on the material well-being of most of humankind” and urges more government intervention, more regulation, more politics, more welfarism, more central planning, more taxes, and less freedom. As I said, it is typical of all such pronouncements about “Catholic social teaching” in the area of economics.

The first assumption the report makes is that there are no ethical guidelines in markets. The report then declares that the economy “needs ethics in order to function correctly.” And the kind of ethics needs to be “people-centred (sic),” says the Vatican. Well, yah. Is there any other kind of ethics other than human-centered? Robot-centered?? Does no one in the business world have any ethical guidelines, as the Vatican asserts?

There are almost too many straw-man arguments in the Vatican report to count. One of the first ones is the contention that in “our contemporary age” the “human person” is understood “individualistically,” which is assumed to be an immoral thing. Worse yet, he is viewed “predominantly as a consumer, whose “profit” consists only in “the optimization of his or her income.” There may be a few people who judge others according to the size of their bank accounts, but to claim that this is a pervasive characteristic of “our contemporary age” is absurd. Even mainstream economics models consumers as “utility” maximizers, not income maximizers.

One would think the Catholic Church would support the classical liberal philosophy of individualism, defined by F.A. Hayek in The Road to Serfdom as simply respect for the individual – all individuals – and rejection of the notion that individuals should become pawns or slaves of government authorities. But no, as a collection of hardened collectivists and Marxist ideologues the Vatican denounces individualism.

He is (rightly) a little harsher and more technical in his critique than I was in my initial report. I’m still pleased the Church called, in summation, for individual awareness and action regarding these matters. The awareness starts with real understanding. That’s why I called for a professional assessment. We have it now. All good and well in the sancto-economic world.

A Cambridge professor with deep ties to American and British intelligence has been outed as an agent who snooped on the Trump presidential campaign for the FBI.

Multiple media outlets have named Stefan Halper, 73, as the secret informant who met with Trump campaign advisers Carter Page and George Papadopoulos starting in the summer of 2016. The American-born academic previously served in the Nixon, Ford and Reagan administrations.

Here is your collusion. Halper has a 38-year history of political espionage, having played the same game for the CIA in 1980. That case was against Carter and for the GOP. The 2016 work was against Trump and seemingly for the DNC. They call it the Uniparty for a reason. Vote “D” or “R” as you like but the machine wins every time.

Unless this time is different. The Trump Tweeted (always with a Tweet):

I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes – and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!

I don’t know what good having the FBI investigate crimes possibly committed by the FBI will accomplish. A fox will certainly guard the fox house. Of course, it might be a good sorting step before moving into Lincoln-Clinton-Bush-Obama “legal” territory. This all assumes much: 1) that Trump is a swamp plumber; 2) that the government is redeemable; 3) that anyone cares.

He hits hard on the mindless boilerplate calls for more gun control. No “AR-47” or “fully automatic assault clips” to blame here. And Crazy Uncle Joe Biden did tell everyone to get a shotgun… Anyone called for #pressurecookercontrol or #pipecontrol? No.

He notes the media lies about “a school shooting every week” and dismantles accordingly. BTW, according to the CDC, while you watched his video, about 72 lives were saved in the US by guns.

He notes something else I had noticed: the MSM communists keep talking about the iron cross pin but stay conspicuously silent about their paraphernalia (hammer and sickle, Baphomet, etc.). No one, that I’m aware of, has mentioned the LGBT+ rainbow heart pin this overweight, smelly, atheist loser was sporting. Interesting.

This kind of examination is unheard of in the media, radical if you will. Stefan’s solution is radical too: charging the parents. Something to consider if one can get away from blaming the NRA.

My solution is even more radical. It also addresses societal problems beyond the violence. If you want to abolish school shootings, then abolish the schools. Abolish. Public. Schools. Or convert them to something that works, something decentralized. Homeschoolers do not have these problems at all. And they don’t suffer the embarrassing statistics I mentioned yesterday: a 92% graduation rate with only 39% proficiency in English and 28% proficiency in math (at the subject TX school, which is about the US average).

I’m probably going to cover this in a video asap. For now, this is the best I’ve seen. All things to think about, if you’re into thinking.

In a sweeping critique of global finance released by the Vatican on Thursday, the Holy See singled out derivatives including credit-default swaps for particular scorn. “A ticking time bomb,” the Vatican called them. The unusual rebuke — derivatives rarely reach the level of religious doctrine — is in keeping with Francis’s skeptical view of unbridled global capitalism.

The unbridled part is certainly correct. But, this is not capitalism – there’s no capital involved. By shady definition, these bombs are literally gambling bets based on the 100% fake “currency” gifted us by the governments and the banksters. Will Dr. Steve Keen please report to Rome?

The concern is legitimate and warranted. The overall gist of the message is that, to honor God, and to be free, there must be a level of morality in the financial systems and the economy in general. All good and well.

An enduring call to acknowledge the human quality of generosity comes from the rule formulated by Jesus in the Gospel, called the golden rule, which invites us to do to others what we would like them to do for us (cf. Mt 7, 12; Lk 6, 31).

12. Economic activity cannot be sustained in the long run where freedom of initiative cannot thrive.[23] It is also obvious today that the freedom enjoyed by the economic stakeholders, if it is understood as absolute in itself, and removed from its intrinsic reference to the true and the good, creates centers of power that incline towards forms of oligarchy and in the end undermine the very efficiency of the economic system.[24]

From this point of view, it is easy to see how, with the growing and all-pervasive control of powerful parties and vast economic-financial networks, those deputed to exercise political power are often disoriented and rendered powerless by supranational agents and by the volatility of the capital they manage. Those entrusted with political authority find it difficult to fulfil to their original vocation as servants of the common good, and are even transformed into ancillary instruments of interests extraneous to the good.[25]

These factors make all the more imperative a renewed alliance between economic and political agents in order to promote everything that serves the complete development of every human person as well as the society at large and unites demands for solidarity with those of subsidiarity.[26]

This seems a little late as the powerful stakeholders and their co-conspirators in the governments have long since abandoned anything approaching decency, morality, or concern for the common good. It’s almost funny: the US had a law banning sports gambling yet has always allowed derivatives betting, which is nothing more than a private-party extension of the crimes of central banking fiat.

So much the Pope gets right:

What was sadly predicted a century ago has now come true today. Capital annuity can trap and supplant the income from work, which is often confined to the margins of the principal interests of the economic system. Consequently, work itself, together with its dignity, is increasingly at risk of losing its value as a “good” for the human person[30] and becoming merely a means of exchange within asymmetrical social relations.

That means, as the wheels of global fake-finance turn, the funny money drowns out the real value of actual capital and labor; real working people are reduced to serfs. Gresham’s Law at insidious work – bad money driving out good. It was directly, correctly predicted 100 years ago, echoed constantly ever since, but it has been an observable trend and phenomenon for millennia.

I was afraid the Letter would degenerate into a call for more central planning and regulation – the same things that created the issue, to begin with. The sell is in there but it is soft. Rather, I was pleased with the conclusion, the call to action of free individuals:

IV. Conclusion

34. In front of the massiveness and pervasiveness of today’s economic-financial systems, we could be tempted to abandon ourselves to cynicism, and to think that with our poor forces we can do very little. In reality, every one of us can do so much, especially if one does not remain alone.

Numerous associations emerging from civil society represent in this sense a reservoir of consciousness, and social responsibility, of which we cannot do without. Today as never before we are all called, as sentinels, to watch over genuine life and to make ourselves catalysts of a new social behavior, shaping our actions to the search for the common good, and establishing it on the sound principles of solidarity and subsidiarity.

Every gesture of our liberty, even if it appears fragile and insignificant, if it is really directed towards the authentic good, rests on Him who is the good Lord of history and becomes part of a buoyancy that exceeds our poor forces, uniting indissolubly all the actions of good will in a web that unites heaven and earth, which is a true instrument of the humanization of each person, and the world as a whole. This is all that we need for living well and for nourishing a hope that may be at the height of our dignity as human persons.

The Church, Mother and Teacher, aware of having received in gift an undeserved deposit, offers to the men and women of all times the resources for a dependable hope. Mary, Mother of God made man for us, may take our hearts in hand and guide them in the wise building of that good that her Son Jesus, through his humanity made new by the Holy Spirit, has come to inaugurate for the salvation of the world.

Know and understand these money troubles. Don’t be alone. Join us in the reservoir of consciousness trending towards freedom.

It’s not just gun violence, Pocahontas. The Greek-surnamed suspect allegedly utilized pipe bombs too. If these vultures want to stop bomb violence, then they should outlaw bombs. May I suggest some language to cover what could be considered a bomb:

The term “destructive device” means (1) any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas (A) bomb, (B) grenade, (C) rocket having a propellent charge of more than four ounces, (D) missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, (E) mine, or (F) similar device; (2) any type of weapon by whatever name known which will, or which may be readily converted to, expel a projectile by the action of an explosive or other propellant, the barrel or barrels of which have a bore of more than one-half inch in diameter, except a shotgun or shotgun shell which the Secretary finds is generally recognized as particularly suitable for sporting purposes; and (3) any combination of parts either designed or intended for use in converting any device into a destructive device as defined in subparagraphs (1) and (2) and from which a destructive device may be readily assembled. The term “destructive device” shall not include any device which is neither designed nor redesigned for use as a weapon; any device, although originally designed for use as a weapon, which is redesigned for use as a signaling, pyrotechnic, line throwing, safety, or similar device; surplus ordnance sold, loaned, or given by the Secretary of the Army pursuant to the provisions of section 4684(2), 4685, or 4686 of title 10 of the United States Code; or any other device which the Secretary finds is not likely to be used as a weapon, or is an antique or is a rifle which the owner intends to use solely for sporting purposes.

One third of able-bodied American men between 25 and 54 could be out of job by 2050, contends the author of “The Future of Work: Robots, AI and Automation.”

“We’re already at 12% of prime-aged men without jobs,” said Darrell West, vice president of the Brookings Institution think tank, at a forum in Washington, D.C. on Monday. That number has grown steadily over the past 60 years, but it could triple in the next 30 years because of new technology such as artificial intelligence and automation.

It could be even worse for some parts of the population, West argued. The rate for unemployment of young male African Americans, for instance, is likely to reach 50% by 2050.

A quarter of Americans spend almost an entire 24 hours without going outside and downplay the negative health effects of only breathing indoor air, according to a new survey claiming a new “indoor generation.”

“We are increasingly turning into a generation of indoor people where the only time we get daylight and fresh air mid-week is on the commute to work or school,” Peter Foldbjerg, the head of daylight energy and indoor climate at VELUX, a window manufacturing company, said in a statement.

VELUX commissioned the “Indoor Generation Report,” published Tuesday, that found 77 percent of Americans don’t believe that breathing air inside is any worse than pollution outside.

It’s unclear how dangerous indoor air is in the modern era — reports by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency evaluating indoor air quality are from 1987 and 1989, which found that it is two to five times more polluted than outside.

Humidity, mold growth, inadequate temperature and being in close quarters with other people are all cited risks associated with poor air quality indoors.

It’s a big, beautiful world out there. I’m typing this outside as I add some of Nicaragua’s finest vaporized tobacco leaves to the air quality.

Something tells me that the younger people are driving up this statistic. Maybe that’s one reason why:

Twenty-seven percent of millennials said that stress often bothered them at work, compared to the 12% of baby boomers that said the same. Millennials were the group most likely to have stress interfere with their work. About a third of millennials (34%) said that they felt stress made them less productive, while only 19% of their older colleagues felt the same.

“Millennials are more likely to have insecure contracts, low rates of pay and high entry-level workloads. The pressures they face in today’s employment market are very different to past generations,” MHF’s Richard Grange said.

Americans and other denizens of the West have been in a unique historical bubble since the industrial revolution. That bubble is bursting. The insecure economy is only part of the overall problem. And there is a problem:

Major depression has a diagnosis rate of 4.4 percent in the United States, affecting more than 9 million commercially insured Americans.

Diagnoses of major depression have risen dramatically by 33 percent since 2013. This rate is rising even faster among millennials (up 47 percent) and adolescents (up 47 percent for boys and 65 percent for girls).

Women are diagnosed with major depression at higher rates than men (6 percent and nearly 3 percent, respectively).

People diagnosed with major depression are nearly 30 percent less healthy on average than those not diagnosed with major depression. This decrease in overall health translates to nearly 10 years of healthy life lost for both men and women.4

A key reason for the lower overall health of those diagnosed with major depression is that they are likely to also suffer from other health conditions. Eighty-five percent of people who are diagnosed with major depression also have one or more additional serious chronic health conditions and nearly 30 percent have four or more other conditions.5

People diagnosed with major depression use healthcare services more than other commercially insured Americans. This results in more than two times higher overall healthcare spending ($10,673 compared to $4,283).

We’ve got the numbers, they’ve got the rate of growth. Blue Cross.

This report, while eye-opening, is the product of the insurance industry. I smell money. Look at the information and graphs about pills. It’s interesting. These people and their pharma friends make big money pushing dope – for depression and everything else under the sun. That’s costly though it’s clear they’d like to avoid larger costs via payouts for associated auxiliary treatments. It makes sense for their bottom line. It makes little sense for the people.

As I stated at the beginning, all of this stuff is related. There’s a hard link between the mental issues and the heart/obesity/etc. physical epidemic. And with those and the fears, the indooring, the stress, and a thousand other factors.

Plainly put: American society is fractured, faltering, and increasingly trivial, idiotic, and insane. Plainer: it looks like decline. Already approaching 1,000 words, I’ll end here. More on this subject, I think, sooner than later – especially regarding the younger generations. I’m already planning a related piece for next week’s TPC column. For now, draw your own conclusions. Maybe step outside for a bit. Exercise. Kick a bot.

Students at a private Catholic school in Miami will remember their wild prom night for the caged tiger.

The big cat was among a menagerie of exotic animals brought to amuse Christopher Columbus High School students at Friday night’s jungle-themed dance, but it had the opposite effect, according local reports.

Maria-Cris Castellanos, whose brother reportedly attends the elite school, decried the stunt as animal abuse, WTVJ-TV in Miami reported. She took her outrage online with footage of the stressed-out tiger pacing in its cramped cage amid pounding music, flashing lights and a performer juggling fire.

“How shameful for Christopher Columbus High school,” Castellanos wrote in a Facebook post, blaming staff at the all-boys school for the stunt.

I have no idea whether the tiger felt abused in this situation – I leaning towards it being torture. Then again, maybe I’m projecting how I’d feel about being dragged to a modern prom, caged or otherwise.

There is abuse in education though, unequivocal abuse.

At first glance, I thought the associated “Florida school” headline referred to a government school. It doesn’t. Christopher Columbus is a private, Catholic academy and, according to Wikipedia, one of the top 50 such schools in the country. They also rate rather well on Great Schools, with an average four out of five stars.

CC does not appear in the latest high school rankings from US News and World Report. Many private schools, and more than a few smaller, public institutions, failed to make the listings. The ones that did make it serve as confirmation of recent findings of the failure and fraud in our schools. A snapshot of a randomly selected high school:

USN.

The same school boasts an 83% graduation rate. That despite the ultra-low percentages in math and reading proficiency and in college readiness. That’s abuse.

Take a look at those rankings. Search out your particular school of concern. And concerns you should have. If a school isn’t in the top ten percent in the state, there’s probably a problem.

The Islamic State has released a posthumous video featuring the knifeman who carried out a deadly terror attack in Paris on Saturday.

20-year-old Khamzat Asimov, who arrived in France as a refugee from war-torn Chechnya, launched a nine-minute lethal knife rampage through the centre of Paris.

Asimov murdered one man and severely wounded four others – including a Chinese and Luxembourg citizen – in the attacks close to the historic Opera Garnier, in the city centre.

Nobody tell Alyssa Milano – she’s a little hypocritical sensitive about the subject – but the NRA was nowhere around this (or any other) crime scene. Come to think of it, a few guns in the right hands might have saved a life. One notes that the police who shot the terrorist to death did so with guns. Interesting. #NoRA?

As French as Creme Brulee. Daily Mail.

Word has it Milano and Young Hogg will go on CNN with Khan to discuss this latest NRA-motivated school shooting.

As with any terrorist attack this attacker was previously known to police. He was even in a database! Probably something about the NRA and knives.

The lesson to learn here, dear friends, isn’t about immigration or situational awareness or the necessity of concealed carry. No. It’s that you can just get by with a plastic spork. Know your place, plebs.